Natural pearls:
Natural pearls are pearls that are formed in nature. The pearls is formed when a small object or irritant becomes embedded in the tissue of an oyster or mollusk. In a natural pearl this happens by chance when an irritant such as food, or a parasite lodges itself in the gonad, or mantle tissue of the oyster. The oyster in response secretes nacre (mother of pearl) around the object and the nacre builds up in layers it surrounds the irritant and forms a pearl.
Cultured pearls:
Cultured pearls are real pearls, but the difference is that we as humans will put the foreign object inside the oyster tissue after that the same natural process takes place as in a natural pearl. Kokichi Mikimoto a Japanese researcher made the most advances in the field of cultured pearls. With his technique cultured pearls could be designed to be round, and flawless from the beginning. When the oyster has an object put in side of it this is called nucleated, the oyster is then taken care of for 2-5 years on average this is know as pearl farming. A cultured pearl is not an imitation pearl they are real from nature with a little help from us.
Natural or cultured pearls come in many shape, colors, and sizes. They can be worn as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings. They are a classic, and elegant jewelry staple that will never go out of style.
Kathy Abdel-hak is co-owner of N.J.Diamonds located in Dearborn,MI. For more in formation you can vist njdiamondsonline.com or vist N.J.Diamonds Tid Bits at njdiamonds.typepad.com.
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It was a very large meteorite that struck Arizona thousands of years ago. But the biggest impact of that meteorite was not its explosive contact with the earth’s surface, but instead was brought about by the smallest traces of an unknown mineral found within it. That mineral was moissanite. An exceedingly brilliant mineral, moissanite showed promise as the perfect gemstone, if only there was more of it. Alas, there was not. But now, more than a hundred years after its discovery, and through the miracles of modern science, moissanite has finally made its way onto the jewelry market, and is enjoying great success as a leading diamond alternative. With unequaled brilliance and fire it’s no wonder that moissanite is fast becoming the gemstone of choice for discerning buyers the world over.
The advantages of moissanite:
What are the reasons for buying moissanite? Why not simply buy diamonds instead? The fact is that there are many advantages to owning moissanite jewelry as opposed to diamond jewelry. Some of those advantages are:
The Brilliance: In the jewelry industry the term “brilliance” is used to denote the amount of white light returned through a gem to the eye of the observer. In other words, how “sparkly” a gem is. Moissanite is actually more brilliant than any diamond, allowing moissanite jewelry to “show” better than diamond jewelry.
The Fire: The dispersion of light through a gemstone, particularly a colorless one, creates flashes of color. This is commonly known as the fire. The light dispersion of moissanite is more than twice that of a diamond, giving it far more fire.
The Mystery: Moissanite is truly not of this world. Originally discovered in meteorites, moissanite has the allure of a heavenly star fallen to earth. Moissanite jewelry adds mystery and sophistication to any outfit.
The Cost: With all its beauty and allure moissanite jewelry is still less expensive than diamond jewelry. For instance: a pair of diamond stud earrings with a total carat weight of 2 ct. can cost $15,000 or more, while the same pair of earrings with moissanite instead of diamonds should cost around $900.
It is also important to note that moissanite is not a diamond substitute, like cubic zirconium, which seeks, and fails, to emulate the beauty of diamonds. Moissanite is instead a diamond alternative, with a beauty and allure all its own. Moissanite can be worn with pride, which is something that cannot be said about cubic zirconium. Here is a good page to view pictures of moissanite earrings.
Where is the best place to purchase moissanite:
To get an idea of the different styles and prices that are available in moissanite jewelry it is more convenient to view it online before shopping around at local jewelry stores.
Retail jewelers will sometimes carry a small selection of moissanite, but you will find a greater selection online. Just type “moissanite” into an Internet search engine like Google or Yahoo and you will find several reliable websites that specialize in moissanite.
The cost of moissanite jewelry is dependant upon several variables, the type of jewelry and the size of the stone. Moissanite earrings with a total carat weight of 2ct. should cost around $900. A 2ct. moissanite ring or pendant should cost between $1100 and $1200. A 4ct. moissanite tennis bracelet should cost around $2000.
Why moissanite is so popular:
Is there any wonder why moissanite is makings such a big splash in the jewelry industry? As colorless stones go even diamonds can’t match the beauty of moissanite, not to mention the cost. With brilliance, fire, and mystery trapped in the heart of every gem, moissanite is simply unequaled by any other stone.
Casey Buell is an expert in the field of moissanite and gemstones, and a contributor to the award winning moissanite website located at http://www.moissanite-collection.com.
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Diamonds are among the most prized substances on earth. Their incomparable brilliance, elegance, durability and mystery have captivated our imagination for thousands of years. Considering the endless lore and mysrique behind this regal stone, it’s no wonder that it has come to symbolize the ultimate gift of love and romance.
Not only is a diamond the overwhelming choice for prospective brides and grooms selecting an engagement ring and wedding ring, but the gem is also the birth stone for month of April. Diamonds are also recommended jewelry gift for couples celebrating their 10th, 60th,, and 75th wedding anniversaries.
Buying a major piece of diamond jewelry such as an engagement ring or anniversary ring can be one of the most expensive purchases many of us will ever make. That is why so important to understand the elements behind the quality and cost of a diamond, keep in mind that the value of a stone is determined by the 4 Cs, the Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat weight.
Cut refers to the execution of the diamond’s design, the skill with which it was cut, the quality of polish, and the overall symmetry of the stone. Diamond cuts are broadly graded as Ideal, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, or Poor. A well cut diamond releases the inner brilliance of the stone and projects its maximum amount of fire and sparkle. A poorly cut diamond allows light to leak out the sides or bottom rather reflecting back to the eye, resulting in a dull diamond taht may even have dead spots inside.
Color refers to the presence or absence or color in white diamonds. As a rule, the more white the stone, the greater its value. Even a slight tinge of yellow or brown could have a negative impact on a stone’s value. Most diamonds are graded on the GIA color scale that begins with “D” for colorless and continues all the down to “Z”, with the color becoming more visible as you move down the alphabet. Stones in the D - F color ranges are considered the most valuable, because they are the rarest.
Clarity refers to the presence of surface or internal flaws within a diamond caused during its formation. External marks are known as blemishes, while internal ones are called inclusions. Diamonds are graded for clarity on a scale ranging from “FL, for Flawless (no blemishes or inclusions visible under 10x magnification) to “I” for imperfect (inclusions are visible to the naked eye), with numerous grades and sub-grades in between. The best diamonds, of course, are flawless, but these stones are exceptionally rare, and therefore very costly.
Carat weight refers to the size of the diamond. The carat is the measure of weight for diamonds. One Carat is approximately 200 milligrams, or 100 “points”. For example, a diamond weighting a half Carat would be 50 pointer, and so on. In general, larger diamonds are rarer and have a higher value per carat. However, other factors such as cut, color, and clarity come into play as well in determining a diamond’s value. It’s entirely possible for a smaller stone of exceptional cut, color, and clarity to be worth more than a larger stone of only average quality in these areas.
There are even fancy natural colored diamonds in reds, pink, blue, greens, yellows, browns, and other colors. They vary in color richness or saturation from “Faint” to “vivid”, with the latter grade reserved for diamonds with most vivid and deepest saturation. The value of a fancy color diamond depends largely on the rarity of its color; for instance, reds, and greens, are rarer than yellows and browns; the saturation of the color; and the purity of the color, whether the color is bright and clear or clouded by tinges of other underlying colors. Top grade fancy diamonds are extremely rare and can command tremendous prices. Probably the most famous colored diamond is the Hope diamond, a 45.52 Carats deep blue gem that resides in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C .
The article above can be used on your web site or newsletter. When it is published, May I request that you include my name and resource box (the bio., contact and copyright information that follows the article. I would also appreciate if you could send me an e-mail of notification along with a complimentary copy of publication.
Bijan Aziz is the owner and Web Master for The Jewelry Hut.
http://www.thejewelryhut.com/html/diamond.html - the best source for fine Diamond, gemstone, and Pearl Jewelry on the Web
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